More Joe the Plumber “record-checking”

The Columbus Dispatch today with my comments below the star line.

The Dispatch reports - - -

Ohio's inspector general is investigating why a state agency director approved checking the child-support computer system for information on "Joe the Plumber."

Helen Jones-Kelley, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, confirmed yesterday that she OK'd the check on Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher after the Oct. 15 presidential debate, in which he was mentioned repeatedly by Republican Sen. John McCain.

Amid questions from the media and others about "Joe the Plumber," Jones-Kelley said she approved a check through the Support Enforcement Tracking System to determine whether he was current on any ordered child-support payments. She said the check was not politically motivated. [My goodness. Did anyeone think her agency’s search was politically motivated? - - JinC]

It is unclear whether Wurzelbacher is involved in a child-support case, and Jones-Kelley said such information cannot be publicly shared. Reports state that he lives with a 13-year-old son in suburban Toledo. …

Ohio Inspector General Thomas P. Charles confirmed that he is investigating the incident to determine whether the check on "Joe" was proper.

The use of a state computer system to search for information on Wurzelbacher is the fourth uncovered by The Dispatch.

Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat, is satisfied that there are no political overtures to the check on Wurzelbacher, a spokesman said.

"Based on what we know to this point, we don't have any reason to believe the information was improperly accessed or disclosed by a state employee," said Keith Dailey, Strickland's press secretary. …

At least four state computer checks on Wurzelbacher were conducted shortly after McCain brought up "Joe the Plumber" during his final presidential debate with Democratic Sen. Barack Obama on Oct. 15. State and local investigators are checking whether the computer systems were illegally accessed.

Republicans have suggested that the checks were politically motivated invasions of Wurzelbacher's privacy and attempts to dig up dirt to discredit the man. Obama's campaign says it has nothing to do with the incidents and joined Republicans in calling for investigations. …

The Dispatch reported on Saturday that authorities are investigating why driver's license and vehicle registration information on "Joe" was pulled from Bureau of Motor Vehicles computers.

BMV information on Wurzelbacher also was obtained through accounts assigned to the Cuyahoga County Child Support Enforcement Agency and the Toledo Police Department.
Both checks are under investigation.

The entire Dispatch story’s here.
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Comments:

Joe’s problem is he’s on the wrong side of the political divide doing the wrong kind of work and supporting the wrong candidate.

If Joe were a leftist and former graduate student of Will Ayers now doing community organizing for ACORN and Sen. Obama, does anyone believe these various government agencies and reporters would be searching confidential records and publishing anything they find that might embarrass him?

And if somehow he’d been talking to a terrorist and was overheard by a government monitor and that became public imagine the uproars about “invasion of privacy” and “spying on citizens” we’d hear from Sens. Obama and Biden and all their reporters and news organizations.

A big hat tip goes to the Columbus Dispatch for digging and reporting on the government/media abuses of Joe’s privacy.

The Dispatch has reminded us how important newspapers can be.


Hat tip: Instapundit




Hat tip: Instapundit
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